Always You
by BloodFromTheThorn
Summary: Tony loved her and by some strange twist of fate, she loved him back. The others might not understand it but it was there for the world to see. Fluff. Post-movie. No slash. Tony/Pepper. Will contain the whole team.
1. The Call

_Just a little bit of Tony/Pepper fluff because she should have answered her damn phone so this conversation could have happened._

* * *

"Tony, can I ask you something?" The billionaire looked up at his girlfriend in curious surprise. They were sat in the main room at the top of the newly rebuilt Stark Tower, enjoying their evening in relative silence.

"Sure," he said after a moment, quickly calculating anything he had done wrong in the last few days. Remarkably, he came up blank.

"Before. When Loki was turning New York into his personal playground." Tony stiffened slightly. Pepper tended to avoid talk about his battles, he knew she found it far too stressful and he respected her more than he could say for putting up with it. "You called me."

This was actually a conversation they had had in the past. When Tony had first met up with Pepper after the fighting she had demanded to know why he was ringing her in the middle of a war and 'damn it Tony Stark if you were calling to say goodbye I will slap you.' And then she'd slapped him anyway before collapsing into his arms as a pile of stressed out, relieved and very much in love girlfriend. He'd spent several weeks paying for the worry he'd caused. But that was almost a year ago now, and hadn't been mentioned in months.

"Yes..." He hedged. He really didn't want to find himself banned from his own bed for the night.

"I've been wondering about it." She hesitated, avoiding his eyes by picking at her nail polish. She looked so timid that Tony had the sudden urge to wrap his arms around her. She didn't pull away.

"What have you been wondering?"

"What would you have said?" Now, he knew he had to be careful here. Pepper seemed to hate it whenever he made self sacrificing moves, so saying that he was going to tell her how important she was to him just before he blasted himself into outer space probably was unwise. Unable to come up with anything better, he simply said:

"I don't think you'd like it." She shook her head.

"I still want to know." And it was in her voice, that soft, reproachful tone that let Tony know he had already lost this argument. He could never resist her when she spoke like that. And so, he told her.

"I was going to tell you I love you." She looked up at him, twisting in his embrace but still not pulling away. "I was going to say how sorry I was for what I was about to do and how I hoped you could forgive me for it. All I could think about was that you were in New York the day before and how any one of the people in the city could have been you. I couldn't survive if I lost you Pepper Potts." She was silent, staring up at him with wide, adoring eyes. "I wanted to say that... It's you. It's always you. Always has been. You make me a better person Pep, and you will forever be the best part of me. There is nothing I want if I can't have you at my side to scold me for being a child with too much money." She chuckled slightly, sounding choked. Tears had started rolling down her cheeks, but neither of them made any move to acknowledge them. "Everything I've done... All those battles. It wouldn't have meant anything_, _I wouldn't have accomplished _anything_ at all if it meant that I lost you. Ironman wouldn't be anything without Pepper Potts behind him." He took her hands in his, rubbing small circles to try and comfort her. "That's what I would have said."

Everything was still. They sat there for several long minutes, entwined, while Pepper cried it out and Tony silently prayed he still had a bed for tonight. He had to resist the almost overwhelming urge to make a snarky comment that was _so _Stark, but he didn't want to ruin the moment. Despite the tears, this moment was pretty much perfect for him. Then again, provided he had his Pepper within arm's reach, every moment was perfect.

It took a moment, but his girlfriend slowly collected herself, sniffling softly and wiping away the tears. She didn't really know why she was crying, but now she wanted to be strong, so she could get through this without a breakdown. She felt raw, even if she couldn't really explain it.

"Tony, that was... _beautiful." _She stared into his eyes, trying to work out what he was thinking. The media would have you believe that Stark was an open book of childhood issues and snarky comments, but she knew the real him: the complex genius that still hadn't recovered from Afghanistan and was constantly insecure that one day, everyone he cared about would turn on him. "I... I don't even know what to say. I _love _you." She buried her face in his shoulder and hugged him. She could feel his arms tighten around her, careful not to hurt her.

"I would probably have had to paraphrase; time was a little short but-" he joked but then Pepper cut him off with a kiss. It was soft and sweet and damn if it wasn't the most glorious moment he'd ever had. What had he ever done to deserve a girl like her? She pulled back after a moment, laying her cheek on his chest, over his heart. "I'm never going to deserve you, am I Miss Potts?" She didn't say anything, but had he been able to see her face he would have seen her brow crease in a frown. "But I swear to you, I will spend every moment for the rest of my life trying to."

"If that involves you flying through portals that blow out your arc reactor, I'd really rather you didn't," she told him, grinning. He chuckled softly.

"Right, no saving the world with kamikaze portal diving. Noted." And the comment was worth it just to hear her beautiful laugh. He'd always be in love with that sound. "I love you Miss Potts." She looked up at him so she could look at his bright, intelligent eyes when she replied:

"And I love you Mr Stark."

* * *

_Yay, fluff. God it's fun to write. Only short I know, sorry. I didn't want this dragging on. I might do a follow up with the rest of the team observing Tony and Pepper. That might be fun. Let me know what you think :)_


	2. Natasha

Natasha's first impression of Tony Stark had not been a pleasant one. No self respecting woman liked walking into a room and being 'ogled' as Pepper had put it, and then he had felt the need to google her, as well as requesting her immediate transfer to act as his 'assistant.' That had been the plan of course, but it automatically meant that she had no respect for him.

Pepper on the other hand was different. She was a woman who knew what she wanted and how to get there, but she was pure enough that she wouldn't hurt someone else to achieve her goals. Her open smile and kind words meant that Nat had never had a chance of not liking her, but she was still surprised at how quickly they became friends. Pepper had some slight issues adjusting her view of Nat from assistant to master spy, but she took it in her stride and never blamed Natasha for the lies she had told.

The one thing Natasha had never understood about Pepper though, was why on Earth was she staying with Tony – billionaire playboy, in his own words – when she could do so much better? She had once asked her, receiving only a laugh and a knowing smile as an answer.

But then the Avengers became reality and she had watched Tony save the world. JARVIS had left Stark's comm. line open at the end, and so the whole team had heard his last attempt to ring Pepper. And though she would never admit it, her heart broke for him. She was by no means a romantic – she had seen the worst in people for so long that sometimes she found it hard to see the good – but there was something so entirely beautiful about Stark's apparent last act that she couldn't help but feel for him. The complete defeat in his voice as he told his AI to make the call had touched her in a way she couldn't describe.

After that, she strove to look harder. She had learned by now that Tony wasn't the unfeeling bastard he liked to pretend he was, and she had somewhat forgiven him for his actions when they first met, but now she was truly focussed. And so, she _saw._

It was small things that no one else would see; the way as soon as Pepper walked into a room a small smile would slide onto Tony's face as though he had been in pain when he couldn't see her, but now all was right with the world. In the way that when she was overworked or tired he would go behind her back and organise it so she could just take a day, and then whisk her off to god knows where (Nat didn't ask and Pepper didn't tell) so she could relax.

And sure, Tony would whine whenever asked to do something he found distasteful, but provided Pepper was the one asking, he would never outright say no. Whatever she wanted, it would get done.

He would move Heaven and Earth for that woman, Nat realised, watching as the two of them danced to some music Stark had playing softly through the speakers. Pepper was laughing, embarrassed at dancing in front of the others, and Stark was telling her not to be so self conscious, but his eyes were warm and sincere and never once drifted from her face, drinking in her features like a man starved. Natasha had a funny feeling that if he could, Tony would never leave this moment, or let it end. He exuded contented bliss.

But, like everything, it had to end. And it did, three weeks after the self conscious dance at the top of Stark Tower.

Pepper had been taken, and by none other than a strand of the Ten Rings.* Nat have never seen Tony so furious or terrified. He was a nervous wreck, so much so that it had taken Bruce a solid twenty minutes to calm him down enough to explain who the Ten Rings were and why on Earth they thought it would be a good idea to kidnap Iron Man's girlfriend.

Once the story was told every single member of the team swore that they would get Pepper back, and that the people who took her would face justice (Well, Steve said justice, Nat was just planning on killing them – she cared about Pepper a lot too).

And so they went, and they got her back. When Tony found her, he had ripped off his helmet and just held her. She sobbed into his metal coated shoulder, clinging to him and all he had done was wrapped his arms around her and kept her close. The team tried to pretend that there weren't tears streaming down the billionaire's face too. He hadn't let Pepper out of his sight for a good week after that, and it was at least a month and a half before she was allowed anywhere alone.

She had moaned to Natasha about it, but found little sympathy from the spy – who for once agreed with Tony wholeheartedly. Pepper seemed to believe that she was the only one in the world that worried about those they were close to.

"You really love her, don't you?" Nat asked Tony once as he watched Pepper pacing in her glass walled office talking to someone (rather animatedly) on the phone. The spy was fairly sure that the billionaire hadn't even noticed her presence until she spoke – he had that half smile on his face and his eyes were soft and unguarded. He looked up at her with a jolt, and blinked for a moment as he let the question process.

"How could I not?" Was his only answer and Nat found that she couldn't respond to that.

"If you ever repeat this I will kill you slowly and painfully," the spy warned sternly, before relenting. "But she's lucky to have someone like you."

"No she isn't." He replied immediately, his voice firm. "She'd be a lot better off without me. I know she worries about me, and because of who I am, she's constantly in danger. You saw what those bastards did." Natasha shuddered at the reminder, remembering the terror when she had realised that they had taken Pepper. "I'm nothing but bad for her. I... just can't seem to be able to let her go." Suddenly he looked so forlorn, that Nat felt an almost foreign, very human instinct to comfort him.

"Maybe you shouldn't try. Yes, you have faults – rather major ones – but that doesn't matter. She loves you Tony. And it's more than that: the way you look at her..." She trailed off, looking towards Pepper's office. "I've seen a lot of people, good and bad, and I've learned pretty much all there is to learn about human nature and reading people. And you couldn't live without her Tony. And I don't mean you'd forget to eat or sleep – which you would – but I think that if she wasn't there with you... I don't think that you'd have been the kind of man who flies through a portal with a nuclear bomb to save a city." She smiled warmly at him, then let it fall back into her usual grin.

"You know," Tony said after a moment, "I've never quite been able to work you out. I mean, Natalie was relatively simple. But then she became Natasha and she never made sense." The spy laughed at the convoluted logic. "Well, whoever you are, thank you. When you're not threatening to kill me, or maim me or in general do me harm, I kind of like you."

"Well, maybe, when you're not being an arrogant, self obsessed playboy... Nah, I still don't like you," she laughed and he joined her. He was fairly sure she was joking – it was hard to tell. "Just, do me one thing," she said, serious once more. She glanced back at Pepper's office to see the woman sink into her office chair, face in her hands having finally gotten off the phone. Natasha had the sinking feeling that she might be crying. "Be good to her."

"It's all I strive to be," he replied softly, as he went to go and comfort the woman that he loved.

* * *

_Damn, I love writing this story. Fluff is so fun and happy to write. Although, this does kind of make me feel lonely, but oh well. I'll stick to the positives. Natasha was fun to write because she's so hard to read, it makes it more of a challenge. Plus I like playing with the idea that there is a very soft side to her that she doesn't ever really get to let out. I get the idea that Pepper and Nat would actually be really good friends, and that Pepper has an agreement with her to make sure that Widow keeps Tony safe. I can just see it happening._

_I think I might do Banner next, cause he's awesome and I love him and Bruce and Tony should so have their own movie together to have geeky science bromance adventures... Anyway..._

_Hope you enjoyed :) Thoughts?_

_*I'm considering writing this as a story..._


	3. Bruce

When Bruce first moved into Stark Tower, he wasn't really sure what to expect. Tony had promised him that he could spend as much time as he wanted in 'Candy Land,' and that he would have his own lab and any equipment he needed. The doctor had to admit, the offer was tempting.

But what he was worried about was the fact that he was moving into Tony and Pepper's home. He didn't want to intrude on their relationship and he was concerned that there would be situations that would make him feel like a spare part. And the worst fear was that watching the couple would only make him feel alone.

He had voiced some of these fears – he hadn't wanted the billionaire to know how lonely he could become – and Tony had shrugged it off saying that the tower would be big enough that he wouldn't be in the way, and that Pepper wouldn't mind at all.

And she hadn't. The kind hearted red head had welcomed him with open arms, offering whatever help she could. Bruce had a sneaking suspicion that Pepper liked him because she thought his subdued nature might calm down her erratic boyfriend – that said, she had never encountered the Other Guy.

The result wasn't quite what she had expected – Tony and Bruce seemed to bring out the worst in each other – but she wasn't going to complain when it was obvious that Tony was enjoying himself so much. He was like a little kid at Christmas with a new toy – and he finally had someone to appreciate it with. Bruce was someone who could keep up with his genius, and could actually bear to be around him for extended periods of time.

The strangest thing Bruce found out about his new residence was the view it gave him to Tony and Pepper's rather peculiar relationship. Someone unfamiliar with the pair might say that the relationship was just a fling and that they wouldn't be able to weather the storm, but Banner knew better.

He had been in his personal lab when JARVIS had interrupted him with an invitation to dinner with the couple. He had only been staying in the tower for a few days and was still getting used to the AI system, so the sudden voice made him jump. Trying to shake off the feeling that this was going to be the most awkward moment of his life, he made his way to the elevator and headed for the room JARVIS directed him to, hovering in the door way uncertainly for a moment before taking a deep breath and entering.

The lights were dimmed and he could see Pepper sitting at the dining table at one end of the room. Tony was nowhere in sight, so Bruce awkwardly took a seat with the red head. She smiled warmly at him.

"Tony ordered pizza. He tried convincing them to bring it up, but they have a policy about entering people's houses..." She shook her head with a fond smile. "Tony wasn't best pleased."

"I can imagine," Banner replied politely with a chuckle. It was so Tony.

"Well, it's a stupid policy," came Tony's exasperated voice from the door as the billionaire swept in balancing several pizza boxes with one hand. Bruce eyed the amount of food with trepidation.

"Who else is eating?"

"Maybe I just like pizza," Tony shot back at him, then smiled. "I tend to over order. Saves me cooking for the next few days. Me and cooking are not a good combination, are they Pep?"

The red head laughed, shaking her head and launched into tales of Tony almost burning down his Malibu home, as well as managing to set himself on fire. By the time Bruce fell into his bed that night, exhausted, he felt much more comfortable than he had before. Stark had never let the conversation become awkward or dull and Banner found that the billionaire had an uncanny knack for producing small talk.

Time passed, and Bruce found himself discovering more and more about his flatmates' dysfunctional relationship. It was obvious from the first minute that Tony adored Pepper. She was the only person who could walk into the billionaire's lab and distract his attention from whatever he was working on. No matter what he said, he always found time for her.

One night when the trio had been spending the evening watching a movie – something Pepper had chosen which held little to no interest to the doctor, but he joined them none the less if only to not be alone – and the couple were wrapped around each other on one of the sofas. Tony was always exceptionally gentle with the red head, fully aware of his muscles and strength, and so he held her carefully, her head lying against his arc reactor.

Bruce watched as without a word he lifted her chin so that he could kiss her. She blinked at him, but he made no comment and let her get back to watching the film. Banner had the distinct impression that he was kissing her simply because he could.

It was three months into their shared accommodation arrangements when Tony strolled into Banner's lab, pouting but with genuine sadness in his eyes.

"If you're going to tell me someone's died, I don't want to know," he said with a soft smile when the billionaire stayed silent. The attempt at humour fell short and Bruce frowned – this wasn't like Tony.

"It's Pepper." He said eventually, flopping down into one of the stools scattered about the room. Bruce pulled up a seat of his own and sat opposite the billionaire, putting on his 'listening face.' "She's angry at me."

"Why?" Banner frowned again; he found it unlikely that the red head could feel any genuine animosity towards the man she so clearly loved.

"I was fighting with Thor – just practise – and I got a little bit banged up. Nothing serious," he tacked on the end when he saw concern flash across the doctor's face. "But Pepper... She's determined that I'm going to get myself killed and that I should just give everything up now before I do irreparable damage to myself." Tony looked genuinely distraught, and Banner's heart bled for him. None of the others had this problem (except for maybe Thor, but he was a lot more durable than Tony, with or without his suit) but they all pitied the billionaire – and Pepper - for it.

"She's just worried about you Tony. She's not angry." He tried to comfort.

"That's just the problem!" Tony exploded, propelling himself to his feet and beginning to pace. "If she was mad, at least I could argue my side of it. But she's not. She's scared for me." His voice dropped back to desperation. "I would do anything to not hurt her anymore."

And Bruce had nothing to say. How do you respond to that? And so he just sat there without a word looking around for something –_ anything _– he could use to cheer up his friend. Tony was looking to his for answers though, and with no inspiration forthcoming he scrambled for something to say.

"She understands why you do it Tony," he offered – it was the best he could do.

"So? It doesn't stop her worrying every time I walk out the front door. It doesn't guarantee that I'm always going to come back. What if I go out and don't come back? I can't do that to her." He was pulling at his hair and suddenly, he looked as though he hadn't slept in days. Knowing Tony, he probably hadn't. "She deserves someone better than me." With that, the billionaire made to leave. Bruce grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around and staring into his eyes, determined to make him understand the absurdity of that comment.

"Tony. You saved the world. You have risked your life countless times to protect innocent people. Hell, you accepted _me _into your house without any reason other than compassion. I have never met a better man than you." The intensity in his voice was clear, and after a second's deliberation the billionaire nodded once. "She loves _you_, Tony. Not anyone else. Never doubt that." He could see the red head in question lingering in the doorway over Tony's shoulder, watching the pair in silence.

"Thank you," the billionaire murmured softly before pulling away again. When he saw his girlfriend stood in the doorway he froze for a moment, looking uncertain.

She sighed softly, coming forwards to embrace him. She kissed him softly, whispering in his ear things that Bruce couldn't hear (though he had the feeling they were apologies). After a moment Pepper dragged him from the room, but not before shooting a deeply grateful look at the doctor. He smiled in acknowledgement, before turning back to his work on radioactive tracing.

For a while he pondered the couple he was living with. To anyone it was obvious that they were meant to be together – and it became clear very quickly that for all his reputation, Tony wasn't going to leave her anytime soon. And Pepper wasn't running. She hated the risks the billionaire took, but at the end of the day it didn't matter: she had the strength to stand by his side, but she could never build up the courage to walk away. So they would stay together.

And as one, they were stronger. It sounded cliché, even to the doctor, but it really was true. They shared their strengths and made up for one another's weaknesses: a team, in the truest sense of the word. Tony was rich (it was hardly a secret) but there was more to it than just money: he had Pepper and so no matter where they were or how bad the situation was, he had everything he wanted.

Bruce was often lonely, often longed to have his other half beside him, no matter how impossible it was. But watching his friends together, he realised that just by being around such perfect _love _he was blessed.

* * *

_I'm not sure about this one. I strayed into bromance a bit (it was so tempting). This may be edited at a later date._

_Slightly different style to the previous one. I hope it was still alright :)_


	4. Thor

_Time for our favourite demi god..._

* * *

There were many things about Earth that Thor did not understand. Most forms of technology were well beyond his reach of comprehension, he didn't really understand the many rules of etiquette for conversation and he often found certain mannerisms of certain humans... disconcerting.

Tony Stark was one such human. The man appeared to be a mystery to most people, and so it was understandable that the demi god took a while to understand his erratic behaviour. But after the fight for Earth, certain things just fell into place. Thor was a warrior to the core, and when he saw others fight he could see who they were in every move they made; and there was a lot of fighting that day.

The billionaire had a mask, and he wore it to hide himself from the burning gaze of the rest of the world. Things might work a little differently here on Earth, but on Asgard Thor had been a Prince by birth, and as such had been 'famous.' He knew what it was like to have people examining your every move, brushing aside your victories and shining a spotlight onto your failures. He knew the pressure that such attention caused and it would seem that whichever dimension you were in, fame did not change much. And so Tony put on a brave face, smiled for the cameras and let everyone believe that he was nothing more than a man with too much money and too few morals.

But Thor knew by now that there was so much more to him than that. In case his suicide play during the fight hadn't been clue enough: Tony did not value his life half as much as people seemed to believe and he would throw himself into danger without hesitation if it meant that others would be safe. He also wasn't in any way conceited, despite the show he put on; he belittled his own achievements and whenever a genuine complement was thrown his way he deflected it carefully onto someone else.

And he was brilliant. Thor might not understand technology well, but even he could tell that everything Tony worked on in his mysterious lab was years ahead of its time. The demi god was banned from all labs within Stark Tower after a little incident with Mjolnir and several thousand dollars worth of equipment, but he had heard enough about the work going on in there to understand that only Tony had the genius to do it.

But beyond all of his brilliance and his wit and his confidence there was something that Thor began to see in everything the billionaire did: Tony Stark was in love with Pepper Potts. The demi god knew something of relationships – he would lay down his life for Jane in an instant – but Tony's love was different. He would die for Pepper, of that there was no question, but to Thor it seemed as though he _lived_ for her too.

The way he acted around her, it was almost as if she was his breath of air in a stifling world, that little light of hope that he would always strive towards. Tony was never still unless he was holding her, always dashing around wildly but then in the evenings he would sit with the team, Pepper on his lap, not moving for hours, if only so that she would stay there. There had been several nights in the past where the red head had fallen asleep, curled into his chest and when she did Tony would scoop her up without a word and whisk her off to bed.

He was always very gentle with her. Pepper had a strong will and a fiery temper but physically she completely outmatched by Tony's wiry muscles, and the billionaire always held her carefully and softly, never forceful.

Thor had never questioned that Tony and Pepper belonged together.

That was why it was such a surprise when about half a year after his battle with Loki Pepper stormed into the kitchen where Thor currently found himself. He was sipping from a mug of coffee (Jane had taught him how to make it with the condition that he didn't smash any more mugs demanding more – Tony said he was eternally grateful to her for sparing his crockery) and was relaxing into one of the chairs, still tired from his recent trip to Asgard; the bi-frost still wasn't fully operational and making the crossing to Earth was taxing.

"I swear I'm going to kill him!" Pepper vented, apparently talking to a toaster. The demi god wasn't sure that she knew he was there until he cleared his throat softly and she whirled to face him, glaring daggers. Once she saw who it was her gaze softened and she smiled at him. "Forgive me. I am... Frustrated."

"Has the Man of Iron upset you?" He asked in genuine concern. He had found he liked this human, who had welcomed him with open arms and had never treated him any differently to the others. Around her he felt almost as if he was home. She reminded him somewhat of his mother – though he would never make this observation to the red head herself, even he knew that it would be rude.

"Yes. But it doesn't matter." She shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. Thor was a little concerned that she was about to burst into tears, and so said nothing. After a moment of silence he was proven right as the young woman sank into herself, bringing her hands up to cover her face as she sobbed helplessly.

Acting on the instinct that made him such a fine warrior, Thor stood, leaving his hammer on the table and embraced the tiny woman. His frame engulfed her completely, but he was very careful to not hurt her. She leant against him for a moment, taking strength from his and trying to calm herself down. The demi god said nothing, letting her get it out of her system; he wouldn't have known what to say even if he had wanted to.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She was still sniffing and her face was puffy, but Pepper pulled away from him. He let her go carefully, making sure that she wasn't going to drop to the ground.

"You should not be," he murmured, his voice as soft as it ever got.

"I was just angry. And worried. Mostly angry." She realised she was on the verge of babbling and shut her mouth with a click.

"Tony made you angry?" Thor felt his own ire build as he wondered what his team mate had done to hurt such an innocent maiden.

"Tony didn't do anything. _Iron man _made me angry." Thor blinked in confusion.

"But the Man of Iron and Tony are one, are they not?" His brow furrowed as he tried to work it out.

"They are but-" She stopped, realising that this conversation would never end if she tried to explain her feelings. "It's complicated. I love Tony, I truly do but sometimes I just can't stand the thought of him flying off in his suit and coming home in a box." Thor looked ready to ask about that, so she expanded: "A coffin."

And suddenly the demi god understood. He had seen similar occurrences on Asgard – rarely but they happened – when a fallen warrior had been brought home and his widow would morn without peace for months and days until their grief was finally quieted – never gone, only silenced. And humans were so much more fragile; it only made sense that Pepper would fear for the man she loved. Didn't Jane constantly worry about him? And Thor wasn't easy to kill.

"You worry about him." It wasn't a question but she nodded.

"Every day he's gone. Even some when he isn't." Thor took a moment to think how he could word this without causing offence to either party involved.

"It is good that you worry, it means that you care about him," he started, speaking slowly, thoughtful. "Only love could drive you to such emotion. On Asgard, we believe in the balance of everything – life and death, peace and war, love and hate. If we did not have hate, how would we know what love was?" He paused. Pepper was watching him with wide eyes, surprise written all over her face. "And I know that Tony fears for you too. When we are aware he demands updates from S.H.I.E.L.D to know that you are safe and well. You are the peace that he dreams of when he is fighting the war. I have heard it said that 'to worry is part of being human.' I assure you that it isn't. To worry is part of being _alive._" He fell silent, letting that sink in, hoping that he wasn't about to get slapped. It wouldn't hurt, but the principle remained.

And then Pepper did something that surprised him more: she leaned forwards and hugged him again. After a second of confusion, he hugged her back softly.

"Thank you Thor. _Thank you." _ Without another word, the red head left the room, surreptitiously wiping away fresh tears as she went.

It was a little over two hours later that Tony came to find him. He walked up to him without a word and shook his hand.

"I don't know what you did, but you need to teach me how to do it." Thor frowned, even though he understood. The moment with Pepper felt private, and so he played the fool.

"I do not understand."

"Yes you do. Fine, keep your secrets. Just..." He began to leave but stopped in the doorway and looked back. "Whatever you did... Thank you." His words were soft and there was none of Tony's patented humour there. "I hate to see her cry."

And with that he was gone, leaving Thor smiling to himself. Tony had saved his life when he flew through the portal with that missile, it was only right that the demi god repaid the favour.

* * *

_I don't know where this came from. I hope you liked it._

_To people who I didn't review reply to, I'm sorry! I figured that you'd rather me spend my little free time writing a new chapter for you instead. Every review is read and appreciated :D_


	5. Steve

Steve watched with mild amusement as Tony Stark swept into the room with that dramatic stride of his, strutted right to Pepper Potts and pulled her into a hug, pressing his lips to hers. She blinked in surprise for a second before melting into his touch, wrapping her arms around him. When the billionaire pulled away he just smiled at her for a moment, watching as the blush spread up her cheeks when she realised that they had an audience.

"Hi." His voice was soft and there was a deep emotion in that one word that Steve recognised as one of adoration. Pepper glanced around, noting how Clint, Natasha, Bruce and Steve were all watching them curiously. Her blush increased.

"What was that for?"

"Do I need a reason?" He smirked cheekily at her.

"You normally have some ulterior motive," she said slyly, and Tony made a mask of mock outrage.

"If you must know I thought you looked beautiful. And you know that I have poor impulse control." He smiled at her again, genuinely this time. His eyes hadn't once strayed from her face and Steve was willing to wager that he wasn't even aware of the other four Avengers in the room.

"That's... actually quite adorable," she murmured back, smiling. He rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes contentedly, looking more at peace than Steve had ever seen him. The moment looked so distinctly private that all of the other Avengers turned away.

"We should probably stop making the others feel uncomfortable now," Pepper said after a moment, grinning slightly.

"It's my tower. They can leave if they don't like it," Tony responded petulantly but let her go and moved to a more socially acceptable distance. That look of complete peace was still there though, buried under his many expressions.

It was after that moment that Steve actually started paying attention to the relationship between the pair. He had gotten to know Pepper well over the last few weeks since he had been living in Tony's tower (he decided that living in a S.H.I.E.L.D owned apartment with constant surveillance was too overbearing) and the soldier had quickly learned that the red head was a thoroughly decent human being. She was kind and considerate and funny and she always took the time to explain anything modern that Steve was vexed by. Hanging around Tony for over a decade had made her something of a technical whizz (not a patch on Tony himself, but then again, no one really was) and she was naturally smart. She was diligent. She was patient. She was generous. It hadn't taken long for Steve to work out why Tony loved her.

But what it took him far longer to work out exactly was why she loved him, and more importantly, how they made it work.

Tony was immature. He would spend days in his workshop not eating or sleeping and then complain when Pepper woke him up at two in the afternoon. He drank far too much to be healthy but it was only on rare occasions that Steve actually saw him drunk. The man was clearly the genius he claimed to be, but when it came to anything not related to technology the billionaire was far out of his depth. He would flail in even the most mundane social encounters (except at fundraisers and parties when he had at least a few glasses of alcohol in him) and more than once Steve had been forced to save him before a S.H.I.E.L.D agent decked him for insulting them.

But despite his complete lack of social skills and abysmal inability to look after himself – who just forgets to eat for six days and has to be put on an IV drip? – the one thing he was good with was Pepper. It might have had something to do with the fact that no matter what he did, she would still love him anyway, but Steve liked to believe it was a little more than that. He _tried_ for her.

Small, menial things that most people wouldn't even think about didn't even cross Tony's radar most of the time, but for her he tried to remember it all. It might have taken him a while, but he was getting better. Documents began to be signed on time for once and the billionaire actually attended some of the board meetings now (admittedly some of the missed meetings may have been due to the team needing Iron Man's help).

And beyond that, Tony would go out of his way to do something nice for her. Without warning at the end of a mission several weeks ago he had taken off in his suit to fly all the way to DC just to take Pepper out to dinner. She had worried about his health of course – he'd taken a pretty nasty blow to the head – forcing him to ring S.H.I.E.L.D to tell them that he was fine, but anyone could tell that she was secretly thrilled.

It was why Steve felt so guilty about having to drag the billionaire from a date with Pepper because the team needed his help. The two had been spending a rare evening of down time together, staying in the tower with a take away dinner and Tony's endless supply of films – just taking the time to be in one another's company.

"Can't this wait Cap?" The billionaire whined, staring at him like he wished that the soldier would just disappear.

"I can try telling the bad guys that you're busy, but I doubt that they'd listen," Steve told him with feigned patience. He has long since become used to Tony's caustic humour.

"Are you sure that the team can't handle this without me?" He sounded a little bit like he was pleading. Steve just glared at him, genuinely sorry for the guy but refusing to back down; They needed his help.

"Tony, go with him." Pepper told him softly, realising that the two men were getting closer and closer to an argument. "I'll still be here when you get back." Tony looked at her quietly, leaning forwards to rest his forehead against hers and closing his eyes in the same way he had done the other day.

"You promise?" Steve looked away, allowing them their moment of privacy.

"I promise. And you never know, I might be feeling grateful for you saving the world again." She smiled at him, a mischievous glint in her eye. Tony looked at her, throwing her one of his grins.

"Grateful sounds nice. I might enjoy grateful."

"I daresay you will."

"But first I have to go and fight the men threatening to blow up New York?"

"Given that we're in New York, it might be helpful."

"And then there'll be gratitude?"

"Yes Tony."

"Come on Cap, I want to be back as soon as possible," Tony announced springing to his feet and striding to the bar to grab his bracelets. Steve shook his head slightly and sent a grateful smile towards Pepper, who just nodded before looking back at her Tony.

"Just... Look after yourself," she murmured to him as she gave him a hug. He pressed his lips to her, drinking her in and holding her close for a moment before he drew himself back. Even Steve could see how much effort it took him to let go of her, and for a moment he understood. _Of course _Pepper loved Tony; how could she not? She would never find anyone that would treasure her as much as this man did, and there would never be anyone on this Earth that would strive harder to keep her safe and happy. Steve had the impression that Tony would do anything she asked, even if she told him to leave and never come back. He would go without a word.

"I will, Pep. I promise." He could have made a snarky comment, but he always knew with Pepper whether sarcasm or honesty was required, and right now he knew that she was truly worried for him.

Tony left the room, heading for his suits. The soldier made to follow him after ducking his head at Pepper but just as he reached the door she called out after him.

"Captain Rogers... Keep him safe for me?" She sounded so lost and alone that Steve's heart broke for her. He turned around, placing his hand on his heart and pinning on his most solemn expression.

"Ma'am, I swear to you that I will do everything in my power to look after him." He softened slightly. "We'll get him home safe Miss Potts, I promise you." She smiled at him, relieved.

"I know Captain. Thank you." It was her face then, soft and kind and afraid and so genuine that Steve would remember. It would flash in his mind's eye as Tony removed his helmet and gauntlets to try diffuse the bomb the terrorists had planted. And it would flicker there in the bright light of the explosion when the billionaire failed. It danced before him as he madly sifted through debris, searching for his teammate. And then when he found him burned and bruised and bloody it wasn't Tony's face that he saw.

Pepper flew into the infirmary of the helicarrier like a demon possessed. There were tear tracks down her face and her eyes were wide and bloodshot. Her hair was a mess and she looked as though she had put on the first clothes that came to hand but every single Avenger still shrank from her gaze as though it burned them.

"What happened?" She demanded glaring daggers at the captain. Steve could say that he blamed her; he had broken a promise.

"I'm so sor-" he started, his eyes begging her to understand but she cut him off.

"I don't need 'sorry.' Just tell me that he's going to be alright." It was that face again, the same one that had flooded Steve's head for the last few hours and he suddenly found that he could speak when looking at that expression. Natasha observed his momentary muteness and quickly crossed to Pepper, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"The doctors think that he should be fine. He was able to get his helmet on in time so only his hands were really exposed and he had the sense to hide them behind his back. He has concussion and a broken wrist and we switched out his arc reactor because the other one was toast. They think some of his ribs might be cracked too. But apart from that he should be alright." For a moment Pepper said nothing, staring silently into space, giving no indication that she had heard a word that Tasha had said. Then after a moment where no one moved she drew a deep breath, held it, then nodded once.

"Can I see him?"

"Not yet. Soon Pepper, I promise." Tasha rubbed her back for comfort but Pepper flinched.

"I've had two promises broken already tonight. Please don't make another one." And with that the thin woman flopped into one of the chairs and rubbed at her eyes. Wordlessly Bruce fetched her a cup of coffee and she took it with a small smile of gratitude.

Steve found that over the next hour or so he would gain a great deal of respect for Tony's girlfriend. She just sat there in silence; sipping her coffee and making the rest of the world believe that her world wasn't bursting into flames around her. It was a convincing facade but Steve could read the signs, remembered doing something similar to keep people from seeing the depths of your pain. The captain was well versed in this pretending. But to almost anyone else she looked stoic and immovable, and the soldier promised himself that he would do his level best to never let this happen again.

When the doctor came in to fetch them Pepper was on her feet in an instant and following the man from the room. Without saying a word the rest of the team collectively agreed to hang back for a few moments to give them a private reunion.

Steve entered Tony's room a few minutes later to find the red head curled up against the billionaire's side, her eyes closed and a contented smile on her face. The man himself was awake with his face resting on the top of her head, breathing in her scent, but he pulled himself upright when the team filed through the door.

"Is Pepper alright?" Tasha asked, eying the dozing woman with concern.

"I'm the one in the hospital bed and you're asking about her health?" Tony shot back, but he wasn't being serious. For him, Pepper's health would always come long before his.

"If you want to be technical, she's sort of in the bed too." Tony chuckled.

"Stress makes her tired. I figured she probably deserved a nap." His arm tightened slightly around his girlfriend and her smile grew more pronounced even in sleep.

"And how are you?" Bruce looked down his chart in concern, the only one on the team who really understood what it all meant.

"Well..." The billionaire glanced around him. "They've patched me up and pumped me full of morphine." He shrugged, offering a content smile. Then softly to himself he added: "Besides, I have everything I really need right here." He looked down at the woman next to him. Steve wasn't sure if the others had heard or not but no one commented, and the soldier gained a little more respect for the not-such-a-playboy-after-all billionaire.

Steve might not have experienced true love, never really had the chance to explore it with Peggy, but damn, if that right there wasn't it then maybe it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. If he could share that devotion with anyone for even a short time, he would die a privileged man.

* * *

_As I've said in the past I still haven't seen Captain America, though with luck I shall soon be watching it with a friend. So anything that isn't canon, I apologise._

_I don't really know about this. I ended up wildly off topic at one stage and had to cut about a page's worth of material. So it all seemed a bit stop-start. Meh. I felt that I should update. Exams are now over (FREEDOM IS SO GOOD) and I'm on holiday. Internet connection will be more unreliable than I'd thought, but I will be writing so when I do get internet there should be several chapters to upload. _

_Anyways, hope you liked it, thanks to everyone that keeps supporting me with this story :)_


	6. Clint

"Feather Head. I need your help." Clint rolled his eyes as Tony strolled into the training range that the billionaire had built into the tower for him. The archer ignored the interruption, focussing on his breathing as he drew his bow and took aim. The arrow hit the centre of the target at the end of the range with a satisfying thunk.

"What do you want Tony?" He asked as he selected another arrow at random. He was all for entirely ignoring the man, but he knew from past experience that Tony would bother him until he got what he wanted.

"I told you, I need your help."

"You're a billionaire. Unless you need someone assassinated, I'm sure you'll do just fine without me." He breathed out slowly and loosed the second arrow, which joined its fellow in the gold ring. Tony whistled appreciatively.

"While I support the sentiment, and am somewhat touched that you would assassinate someone for me, that's not what I was aiming for."

"Can you just ask me whatever it is so you can _leave me alone_?" Clint hissed, abandoning any pretence of patience.

"Well that's kind of you," Tony shot back looking mildly irritated. "I..." He hesitated, glancing around like he was embarrassed. Alarm bells burst into a chorus in Clint's head; Tony Stark did _not _get embarrassed. It was like, medically impossible or something.

"Now I'm intrigued. What do you need?"

"Advice," the billionaire admitted eventually. "With Pepper."

"Relationship trouble? And you're coming to _me?" _He asked incredulously. He was enjoying having power over Tony a little too much.

"Well, the thing is Steve is too old fashioned. The most I can get out of Bruce about relationships is something about Betty – whoever she is – and then he just blushes and buries himself in science. Thor might be in a relationship but I refuse to ask someone from another dimension for help with the girl I love. Besides him, only you and Natasha are in a semi-stable relationship – with each other, which, by the way, I still find a little disturbing – and to be honest? She scares the hell out of me. Besides, she's best buds with Pepper and I doubt she would keep a secret from her. And that leaves you." For a moment Clint looked a little uncertain then nodded.

"Your logic is sound." Tony snorted.

"Alright Spock. You see the thing is..." He stopped again, biting his lip.

"You can tell me Tony. I solemnly swear to keep it secret and all that."

"I..." He hesitated then closed his eyes and took a deep breath, scrambling for courage. He was so far out of his depth here it was almost funny. "I want to ask her to marry me." He said in a rush.

For a long moment, Clint just looked at him, his eyes calculating. He had spent years learning how to read people, to understand them from the way they looked, to hearing their thoughts in the way they held themselves. The archer could look at just about anyone and tell you everything that he would need to know for his mission – it was a skill that had saved his life more times than he cared to count.

And so from the moment he had seen Pepper and Tony together, he had understood. Tony was an entirely different person around her, happier and more carefree as though once she was in his arms the world had righted itself in some significant fashion, whether anyone else could feel it or not.

If he was honest, Clint had been expecting a similar proclamation for some time now.

"Congratulations," he said honestly, clapping him on the shoulder. Tony didn't look any happier. "I'm still not getting what you need my help with here."

"I need to _propose." _Tony stressed, looking like he was trying to hint at something obvious. Clint just blinked at him. "Oh for the love of-" the billionaire huffed. "What do I _do_?"

"Well, most people tend to buy a ring, get down on one knee and ask. It's all quite simple really." The archer knew what Tony was getting at by this stage but he was enjoying stringing him along. The billionaire just glared at him.

"You know that's not what I mean. I understand the basic plan. It's details I need."

"You want me to help you plan your proposal."

"If you want to think of it that way," Tony shrugged, aiming for nonchalance and failing miserably. "You're good at reading people. You know what she'd like."

"Tony, you've know the woman for over a decade. You want to _marry _her. If you don't know her by now then something is wrong somewhere."

"Are you going to help me or not?" The billionaire snapped, his patience gone. He didn't like asking for help as a rule, and he didn't appreciate Clint stringing it out as long as he could. The archer grinned at him, eyes glinting.

"Sure."

* * *

Clint had always liked Pepper. Partly because Natasha was friends with her – which automatically meant that she was someone worth knowing, Tasha didn't make friends readily – and partly because she had never once taken issue with Tony for inviting two assassins, a demi-god, a genetically enhanced soldier and a doctor-turned-rage-monster into their home.

It was in her nature to be excepting of her boyfriend's erratic behaviour and she had long since become accustomed to dealing with him when he tried to spend weeks in his lab without eating or sleeping. The archer had seen her once talk him into eating when Natasha had failed to do so; his respect for her had increased significantly after that.

And Clint had found something of a friend in Tony too. He hadn't expected to, the billionaire's lack of seriousness had instantly gotten the archer's back up but in time the man had chipped away at his walls until he got through. Clint couldn't find himself regretting letting Tony in though; it turned out that they shared a wicked sense of humour and the common love of pranks had led them to teaming up on more than one occasion (they had agreed to lay off for a while when they pranked Fury and Natasha had gotten chewed out because of it – no one argues with an angry Natasha Romanov).

Clint and Natasha found themselves talking about the couple often enough, both knowing one half of the equation. From their somewhat unique perspective they had gotten an impression of the pair that seemed hidden from everyone else.

They were entirely dependent on one another. Pepper needed Tony to keep her from working herself to death and to provide a source of fun. Tony needed Pepper for, well... everything. He was entirely lost without her unless he was in his suit fighting bad guys. Anything that was a requirement for everyday life was inconceivable to the billionaire (except for his social security number – he had learned that to prove a point. It hadn't worked).

The rest of the team could see the way that Tony floundered when she wasn't there, the way he would brighten when she was. But something that none of them had noticed was the way that Pepper did exactly the same.

There was a mission, not too long after the formation of the team, but Clint had a broken leg. He ended up grounded at Stark tower with Pepper whilst the rest of the team ran off to save the world. The archer was so busy worry about Tasha that he almost hadn't noticed the way that Pepper was trembling like a leaf, looking as though she was about to fall apart. Clint said nothing, just held her in a hug while she shook, sharing their worry and taking strength from the other.

When Tony had returned Clint had silently handed her over to him and she had proceeded to burst into tears, clinging to the billionaire while he just swayed slowly, thanking the archer with a swift nod and a smile. With his skill at reading people Clint could see just how much this display was hurting Tony, and it was only later that he really understood that the man couldn't stand seeing his Pepper hurting because of Iron Man.

What made Clint respect their relationship was the way that despite all the heartbreak and the stress they would always make it work. Pepper would drop everything at a moment's notice to go running to Tony's bedside when he was hurt and Stark would always have time for whatever Pepper wanted to do, no matter how dull he might find it (you had to respect the guy for sitting through all of the twilight films without a single complaint, just because his girlfriend thought they looked interesting).

The archer might be more prejudiced to see the bad in people, but in Tony and Pepper, all he could see was love.

* * *

"Good luck man."

"Thanks. You think she'll like it?"

"She'll love it." Clint knew when to draw the line between joking and being straight with a guy who was terrified he was about to be rejected. He spoke with such conviction that Tony nodded at him, relief blooming in his eyes, even though he still looked slightly like a deer caught in headlights. "Try and calm down Tony. You look petrified."

"It's not like this is something I've done before."

"Most people find that. But you know what?"

"What?"

"They manned up and just did it." Clint let the humour bleed through, knowing that if anything was going to set his friend at ease it would be sarcasm.

"Oh, ha ha. You're so hilarious," he replied acidly, but he relaxed slightly. He looked around him, eyes roving over the candles that Clint had expertly put in glass jars and the table that was set out beautifully with a table cloth the shade of red that Tony knew was Pepper's favourite. Flowers were strewn around the rooftop that had been magically transformed into a place of wonders. Even the down-to-Earth billionaire had to admit that it was beautiful.

"Trust me Tony. Now man up. She'll be here in a minute. I have to be going. _Good luck._" He patted him on the shoulder and then left swiftly, disappearing from sight before Pepper could see him.

He took up a look out on one of the surrounding rooftops where he could watch whilst remaining unobserved. He slipped into the stillness so common in his job, waiting patiently.

When Tony dropped onto one knee Clint realised he was grinning like a crazy person on his friend's behalf. Pepper (who was absolutely stunning in her evening gown) looked shocked and though it was hard to tell from this distance she looked like she was crying. Then the pair of them were in each other's arms, clinging to each other tightly.

That looked like a yes.

* * *

_I might add more later, depending on how I feel. This ended a little suddenly. _

_Popular vote has led me to agreeing to do a short one for Fury. So that might be happening, provided I can think of anything to write. I find Fury very hard to read (I suppose that's kind of the point, but from a writer's point of view it's just annoying. _

_The proposal scene is going to be written from Tony or Pepper's point of view after Fury I think, then you can actually tell what they say. _


	7. Fury

Fury might not show it, but he actually liked Tony Stark. He appreciated the good in him that the man tried to hide and he would always feel grateful to him for saving New York after the rest of the council went crazy just because there were a few aliens on vacation there. So yes, he liked Tony.

That said, he didn't always appreciate the constant sarcasm or the irritating personality flaws (conceit being one of them) and he hated the perpetual tardiness that surrounded the billionaire like a bad smell. He was incapable of turning up on time to _anything_. The man would be late to his own funeral if it got him more attention.

But something about the guy he really liked? Pepper. He had only met her briefly and on those occasions she had been stressing because Tony was injured or missing or in trouble, but for someone with Fury's skill set those brief encounters had been enough to formulate an opinion. Romanov's reports of her time in the Stark family had also shown the director more of the woman's personality.

The fact that she had become best friends with two of his top agents said a lot about her on its own. It was clear that she was long since used to dealing with Tony and it would seem that she had taken the rest of the Avengers under her wing in much the same way. Even when the billionaire himself was fine, she would sit by the bedside of whichever member of the team was hurt to offer whatever comfort she could.

It was obvious from her track record that she was diligent (in Fury's opinion anyone that could be within Tony's life nonstop for over a decade must be dedicated to the job). She had helped to keep the billionaire on track too; with her guiding hand he had actually managed to turn in mission reports and he even came to some of the team meetings. It was a miracle.

When he heard that the two were getting married, he was genuinely happy for him. Very few people around the director had families (married to the job, just like him) and so the break from normality was almost sweet. Not that Fury _ever _referred to _anything _as sweet. He had a reputation to protect.

In a more selfish way he was glad that Pepper was sticking around to keep one of his Avengers on target, as well as providing some humanity to the rest of the team. Sometimes it was good for them to get a glimpse of the people they were working to protect; the director would like to meet anyone that was immune Pepper's natural kindness and the Avengers were no exception. Fury was fairly sure that any member of the team would put their life on the line to save her; he had seen it when she had been taken.*

It wasn't long after the announcement of the proposal that Pepper contacted him unexpectedly. She had calmly but firmly told him that if he did anything that would ruin their wedding she would drop him over the edge of his own ship; he didn't doubt that she would try and if she was able to recruit the rest of the team, she might actually succeed. And so he had told her he would leave them to their fun and would do everything he could to make sure they were undisturbed.

Tony had found him a few days later.

"Did Pepper ring you?" He didn't sound angry or upset, just curious.

"Why?" He made sure that his face was blank.

"Because someone from the tower rang your personal phone and I know it wasn't one of the team. And unless JARVIS got bored and wanted to chat, I'm going to say it was Pepper."

"You watch your own phone lines?" Even to a spy that sounded a little paranoid.

"No. I watch yours." Fury scowled at him but Tony shrugged, unapologetic.

"Yes, she rang me. Is that a problem?"

"Depends on why she was ringing you." He sounded... protective.

"Maybe she was bored and wanted to chat," he deadpanned and now it was the billionaire's turn to glare. Fury just grinned and wandered out the room. Behind him, Tony fumed silently.

The conversation was never brought up again and Fury assumed that the billionaire had taken it up with his girlfriend himself. He had never been bothered enough to follow it up.

The next time he encountered the red head was just under a month later when Tony lay in a hospital bed, his arm broken and leg heavily mangled. The doctors had assured them all that he would make a full recovery but for now he looked so fragile that Fury was having a hard time believing it.

Pepper sat at his side, clinging to his uninjured arm like a vice, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. The billionaire was pale and still and if it wasn't for the fog inside the oxygen mask he would have looked dead. Fury watched the pair silently, arms crossed.

After a time Tony stirred, his heart rate darting around as he panicked when he couldn't tell where he was. Pepper was immediately cupping his face whispering comforts in his ears until he calmed. She looked so used to such actions that Fury found himself wondering just how well the billionaire slept at night – many people who had gone through less than him suffered nightmares.

Tony spent longer than he would have liked in the hospital, guarded constantly by his teammates to stop him from leaving. Fury checked in every now and then and every time he did he would walk into the room to see Pepper sat in the same seat by his bedside, gripping his hand. Sometimes she would be asleep or he would be and other times they would be talking in quiet voices to one another but they never broke that contact. They always made sure that they were holding onto one another.

It wasn't long after that when Fury started worrying about Pepper's safety. And not just because he didn't want her to be hurt – which he didn't, she was an innocent civilian and as such it was his job to protect her – but for a far more selfish reason. If he lost Pepper Potts? He would lose Tony Stark. Without a doubt the man couldn't survive without her and even if the team worked to look after him (which he was sure they would – they protected their own) it wouldn't make any difference. The alarming truth was that without her, Stark wouldn't _want _to live, much less continue working with the Avengers.

It was down that train of thought that led the red head to being on S.H.I.E.L.D's watch list. She was under surveillance all the time (except when she was within Stark Tower – no matter how much he hounded Fury hounded his technicians, they couldn't get through the firewalls Tony had put in place) and there were always at least two agents within a few blocks of her position. Fury knew that Tony knew about it – the man seemed to know every move that S.H.I.E.L.D made – but he never complained or tried to stop them; it said a lot for how much Stark wanted her to be safe.

Fury didn't think he would really understand their relationship – for all his skills at reading people, there was a decade's worth of moments that he was unaware of that would tell their own story. But somehow, he didn't mind. Despite the fact that to the casual observer the couple were dysfunctional at best, once you looked closer there was an almost visible bond that ran between them and there was something so primal and pure about it that Fury realised that it wasn't _meant _to be understood. There was no logic to it. The spy had the impression that if he ever believed in soul mates, he would see them in Tony Stark and Pepper Potts.

Together they were strong – they would last through it all. And that was exactly what Fury was counting on.

* * *

_*Due to popular vote, this is becoming a story. I'm going to post it on the end of this story along with the proposal scene._

_I've also had a request from __**Sarcastic Musician **__to do Happy, which sounds like fun, so I'll get on it. The same request also mentioned Agent Coulson and I'll have a go, but I can't promise anything. He's harder to read than a brick wall. And the timeline for that would be completely out but I can try. After that I don't know if there'll be anything else, depends on what people want. _

_So. This didn't turn out as well as I might of hoped, but then again, I did warn you that I can't get a read on Fury. So I did my best._

_I was amazed by the support that Clint's chapter got :O You're all amazing. I didn't think it was anything special, so it's nice to know that it was appreciated. Thanks guys. _


	8. Happy

Happy could still remember the day he met Pepper Potts. She had been hired about a year and a half before him and had taken it upon herself to show him the ropes. With his slightly cocky attitude, he had almost laughed at the idea of a young woman showing him how to be a bodyguard – it was a job he had done in the past and he was good at it; it was why he had gotten the job in the first place. What he hadn't realised at the time was that she hadn't been intending to show him how to be a bodyguard, but rather how to guard _Tony Stark. _They were entirely different things.

When the red head walked into the room she had looked him up and down for a moment, calculating, taking in the muscles, the suit and the nervous smile. For half a moment they stood like that before she smiled warmly and walked over to shake his hand. She was dressed in the pencil skirt and jacket that he would come to know so well, with her hair tied back neatly, looking every inch a professional.

To start with, he had been nervous – she was a beautiful woman after all and he was the new kid in town. But in time the twinkle in her eyes and that dazzling smile had won him over and the two had become close friends. When looking after someone like Tony Stark, they needed to work as a team or they'd both be lost. She would keep him informed of the billionaire's plans (because heaven knows Tony didn't tell him when and where he needed to be places) and in return he would forewarn her when he was bringing a girl back for the night.

They worked seamlessly together and they would often spend their free time just talking. Within a year of working for the billionaire, Happy would honestly say that Pepper was like the little sister he never had.

This, unfortunately, had led to more than one run in with the billionaire himself. The first time it had happened, Pepper had come running to Happy in tears and flung her arms around him, sobbing into his shoulder. Bewildered he had comforted her until she calmed down enough to explain that Tony had been unusually short and bad tempered all day and it had gotten to her. She told him she was sorry for making such a scene – Happy had never been quite sure who she had been making a scene for; they were completely alone – and that she was sorry to have bothered him.

After Happy had assured her that he didn't mind at all and made sure that she had a cup of hot chocolate to help calm her down, he went in search of his boss. Up until this point he had never really spoken to Stark; his role generally required him to stay quietly in the background but he thought it was high time to rectify that.

He stormed into the lab, using the pass code that JARVIS had supplied and marched right up to the slightly alarmed billionaire.

"Ah, Happy. What can I do for you?"

"You know that you made Pepper cry?" He demanded, not entirely sure whether the wince was due to Stark being intimidated by him or upset at the knowledge he had upset Pepper. "Look," he snapped, well aware that he was crossing every boundary there was and this was probably going to get him fired. "Pepper is practically my sister and I don't appreciate the way you treat her. She does _everything _for you and is kind hearted enough to stick around even if you are a jerk, she won't even hate you for it. But I want you to know that I won't stand for her being hurt." He realised that his hands were clenched into fists that the billionaire was eyeing warily and he worked to calm himself down enough to release the tense muscles.

"Duly noted," Tony replied eventually. "I didn't mean to be so harsh."

"I don't want your placations, but she might. Talk to her instead," Happy snapped at him, before turning to leave just in case the billionaire actually decided to fire him because of his audacity.

When Pepper came to him the next morning, smiling madly and told him about how Tony had apologised and given her a week's holiday in Spain (which she had turned down in favour of money to buy herself something nice) in compensation Happy acted like he was as surprised as she was and the next time he saw Tony he nodded at him in gratitude.

Over the next few years Happy was able to watch from a distance as Tony realised just how important Pepper actually was to him. In his capacity of security guard, he obviously spent a lot of time around the billionaire – and by extension Pepper – and so he had a front row seat to watching them become friends. Bu there was more to it than that; they needed each other.

Despite being able to watch their relationship develop, Happy still couldn't really understand it. They were close, that much was clear, but they would still talk to each other as colleagues and nothing more – not once did she refer to him as 'Tony.'

And then when the billionaire had been taken... It hadn't been pretty. Pepper and Happy would sit together in the empty Malibu mansion, hugging each other and just praying that he would be alright. For almost a month the bodyguard had had to watch his best friend cry as she tried to find anything, any menial task that she could do to pass the agonising moments.

When Rhodey rang them to say that Tony had been found and he was – mostly – alright, Pepper hadn't been able to contain her joy. For the first few days after the billionaire was returned to them she was positively glowing even while she fretted over Stark Industries' future and Happy was joyous to see her recovered so quickly.

Then there had been the fiasco with Stane. Tony had found himself within Iron Man but there was a period of time when Happy thought that this new and improved Stark wouldn't have room for someone like Pepper, or that the red head wouldn't be able to deal with the danger the billionaire was throwing himself at. But they had made it work. Happy hadn't been working that day, and he had always felt guilty for forcing Pepper to step into a role that should have been his; she never accepted his apology though – she said that she was glad he hadn't been there. He might have been hurt and besides, some unreadable bond had been forged between the pair on that rooftop that could not be undone.

It wasn't long after that when Happy stepped into the capacity as boxing trainer. These lessons eventually led to a close friendship with the billionaire, as well as an increased respect for him – mainly because of his treatment of Pepper. He could see that Tony loved her and he could see that it wasn't in the same way as Happy loved her, though the billionaire was forever the gentleman with her; nothing like the playboy he used to be. What really surprised him though was the way Pepper blushed when he entered the room, or the way he would catch her looking at the billionaire when she thought no one was watching. He asked her about it, but she would just smile knowingly and divert the conversation politely.

After the Stark expo it had only taken Pepper about three minutes to spill the beans, and while Happy had outwardly acted surprised he had secretly been relieved. The tension between the pair had been getting unbearable.

Over the next year he was able to watch as two of his closest friends fell for each other. The love was already there, tangible between them, but now it had strengthened between them – they were unhappy when they were apart, they knew absolutely everything about one another and despite all the flaws and the faults they loved each other completely. Happy had never encountered a stronger couple.

Happy hadn't been in New York when Loki had invaded. He had however been on the plane with Pepper, holding her hand, gripping her just as tightly as she was him.* He could feel the waves of nervous terror that rolled off her, felt himself respond in kind as he watched his friend – his sort-of sister's boyfriend – fall from the sky like a rock.

Pepper's reunion with him had said it all really; she had been her personal blend of furious and so relieved she just melted into his arms. Tony just seemed a little bemused by the whole experience, still not really used to having so many people genuinely care whether he lived or died – or at least not used to being aware of such attention.

When Pepper had been taken, all Happy had wanted to do was curl into a ball and weep, utterly terrified at the idea of not getting her back. Tony was little better to begin with, but then the team had rallied him in a way that Happy was too indisposed to do so. The billionaire had thrown his anger and his fear into Iron Man with a passion and he had fought like a man deranged to get her home again.

The day she had been brought home Happy hadn't been able to let go of her for a least a minute. Tony let them have their moment in silence but he didn't let go of Pepper's hand – and he wouldn't do so for the next few days. For a long time after that every time the red head wasn't within Tony's sight he would become unbelievably jittery. He wouldn't be able to sit still and he couldn't concentrate on anything.

But for all that had come before, nothing showed Happy how right for each other they were than when they told him of their engagement. Neither of them could stop smiling and the bodyguard didn't think he had ever seen anyone as truly happy. It was so touching that he actually cried a bit. Pepper had embraced him and Tony just ribbed him slightly, before joining in the group hug; for a small moment in time they felt like a small family – a team in the truest sense, with bonds stronger than anyone else could hope to understand. They worked flawlessly together and no matter who tried to break them their attempts would just slide off them.

'_Whatever happens to me now,' _he thought to himself as he held them. _'At least there was this. I will never stop trying to protect what they have.'_

* * *

_*I don't think that this was in the film, but I can't really remember. It fit better, so I just made it like this instead :)_

_This kind of turned into a Happy and Pepper fic for a bit. Apologies. _

_It was also quite stop and start, and it jumped around a lot. I just couldn't really find a way to blend it all together. I don't really know with this one. It's a little bit different to the others, and has almost no dialogue, but I hope it was still alright. I'm going to be fiddling with this soon._

_I've had one or two mentions of doing JARVIS. I hadn't even thought about him to be honest, but I'm going to give it a go. I get the feeling that this story might be endless xD  
_


	9. Stolen

_JARVIS and Coulson will have to wait. This was plaguing me so I did this instead. Sorry for the long wait :/_

* * *

When the call came through to the team, they hadn't been expecting it. They hadn't been expecting anything; having just finished taking care of Hammer's remaining droids – _again _– normally they could expect at least a little down time between missions.

Fury was sitting in one of the chairs around the conference table and the rest of the team were around the room, just taking the moment to breathe again after the hectic week. Tony was leaning back in his chair with his feet propped up on the table, tapping on his ever present phone while at the same time sustaining a conversation with Dr Banner about the pros and cons of trying to incorporate nuclear fusion into the arc reactor at the tower; Nick didn't even try to keep up with the science. Thor and the Captain were commiserating together about their complete lack of understanding of technology. The two S.H.I.E.L.D agents just sat beside each other in companionable silence while Natasha leaned against Clint who was stroking her hair.

"Director, we have a situation." He sighed softly as Maria Hill's voice came over his earpiece, automatically raising a hand to rub at his eyes in annoyance. Right now, he just wanted a shower and sleep; super spy or not, he was still human and that came with limitations.

"This had better be important," he warned. Vaguely he noticed Steve watching him out of the corner of his eye and both of his spies were alert again, completely still as they listened in.

"Sir, the agents that you assigned to watch Miss Potts have just reported in."

The room went very, very still. Stark had completely frozen in his seat and was looking at Fury with his eyebrows raised, trying to adopt a casual position but failing miserably.

"What do the reports say?" Fury asked, his voice level, glaring at Stark to warn him off interrupting.

"They..." There was a long pause and the sound of Hill drawing in a deep breath. "Miss Potts was taken."

"Taken?"

"Yes sir." Fury looked over at Tony with a sinking feeling spreading through his chest. The billionaire was perched on the edge of his seat, every muscle tight and strained, staring into the distance blankly. All colour had left his face and if it wasn't for his soft, slow breathing, the director would be worrying that he'd had a heart attack and died.

Natasha had gasped aloud, hand flying to her mouth in sheer surprise. One of her hands automatically flew to the gun that was strapped to her thigh. Anger flooded her features at the thought that someone had _dared _take her friend.

All eyes were on Stark, waiting for the fallout that was sure to come. When he eventually spoke, it wasn't the explosion they were all expecting. His voice was quiet and calm – completely deadly. Bruce felt a slight shiver crawl down his spine at the sound coming out of Stark's mouth.

"Agent Hill. Do you know who took Miss Potts?" There was another lengthy pause, then:

"The Ten Rings, Mr Stark." The silence of the room shattered as a mug, complete with coffee and a spoon met the wall at great speed. Everyone in the room flinched slightly and Tony realised that he was on his feet without any recollection of getting there.

"Do you know where they took her?"

"...We're working on it."

"Work quicker," he snapped, his voice finally breaking out of that awful monotone.

"Agent Hill," Fury cut in. "Make this priority red, get everyone on it. I don't care what you have to do, just get her found."

"Of course sir," she replied and the line went dead. Everyone looked at Stark, who just stared at the table for a long moment, breathing heavily, eyes wild. His chair, which had been knocked to the floor when he stood, was hurled after the coffee cup with a wordless yell of rage. Bruce immediately took several steps back, automatically trying to put as much distance between himself and anger, his hands half raised in a placating gesture.

"Tony, you need to calm down," he warned quietly. The doctor was entirely ignored as the billionaire threw himself into pacing rapidly backwards and forwards, arms folded and face twisted with rage.

"Who are the Ten Rings?" Steve asked Fury quietly but in the sudden silence of the room, they all heard.

"They're a terrorist cell, based in the Middle East. Believed to have links to Al-Qaeda. We were lead to believe that they'd all been wiped out," Fury stated, trying to remain emotionally detached from the situation. Tony growled quietly.

"They were wiped out. I killed them _myself," _he snapped, looking like he wasn't sure whether to cry or scream or hit something. His mind was blank with terror: they had taken _Pepper. _His Pepper. Gone. Stolen. By the same bastards that had kidnapped and tortured him. This was all his fault; they wouldn't be after her if it wasn't some form of revenge against him.

'_If they touch a hair on her head, I will tear them limb from limb.' _A sadistic glee filled the fringes of his mind at the thought.

"Wait, wait, what?" Cap was looking between Tony and Fury in confusion, his face lined as he tried to understand. Of course he wouldn't know, most of that part of the billionaire's file had been redacted; no one apart from Natasha would know about it – on the team at least. "You've been in contact with them before?" Stark hissed through his teeth, then nodded.

After a long moment he dropped into Bruce's vacated seat and slammed his fist into the wood of the table with a sharp crack. He barely even felt the pain.

"They are what gave me this," he murmured, tapping the glowing ring in his chest. His voice sounded dead to his own ears and out of the corner of his eye he saw Bruce wince. "Before Iron Man, I sold weapons. I was in Iraq for a demonstration and the convoy that I was in was attacked – one of my own bombs almost killed me. The reactor is what keeps the shrapnel of the explosion out of my heart."

"It was the Ten Rings that attacked you," Steve inferred, his voice very soft. Tony just nodded sadly, looking for all the world like his whole reason for being had just been stripped from him.

"They wanted me to build bombs, I refused and they got... persuasive." He paused for a moment to make sure that he wasn't about to throw up all over the nice, shiny floor. With the vague realisation of someone that didn't really care, he felt Natasha's hand grip his own. "I told them that I'd build them their damn missile and they left me to it. Fools." A grim smile spread across his face. "I built a suit. I _burned _them."

Steve watched the billionaire, examining him as though this was the first time he was seeing the man. He'd been made aware when he first joined the team that it was unwise to ask Tony about his past – especially Howard – and so he was at least vaguely aware of how hard this confession was for the younger man. At the same time, he was amazed. Curious, he had looked through newspapers and other records from Tony's past, to try and make sense of the man and he had inevitably stumbled on all the reports that said the billionaire had been kidnapped. No details had been given. When he resurfaced and turned Stark Industries around, the media had been more interested in his new direction – and later, Iron Man – than what had happened in the two month gap.

"When I got back home, I built a better suit and I used it to hunt down the rest of the cell. At the time I told myself it was justice, though to you it probably sounds more like vengeance." Stark's voice was cold and unrepentant – not that Steve could really blame him at this point. The billionaire looked back at Fury. "I killed them. _All_ of them. I was... very thorough."

"Maybe a higher up? Someone with the influence to remain nameless."

"Raza was as high as I could lead the chain of command. The only dealings that I could find with anyone that wasn't part of his cell was... Obadiah." From the look on Tony's face, the others all knew that it was best not to ask.

"What if I told you that we had heard talk of another player? Someone nameless and faceless: a ghost. No records, nothing we could trace." The billionaire was on his feet again and in Fury's face before anyone had time to respond.

"I would warn you to be very damn careful," he hissed, so beyond furious that it was a little hard to concentrate enough to form coherent sentences. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You might be an Avenger Stark but that doesn't mean that you're a S.H.I.E.L.D agent. Why would we have told you?" The only thing that stopped Tony from hitting the man in front of him was Steve grabbing onto the billionaire's arm and pulling him back.

"Come on, you need to calm down Tony," he said softly, letting him go when he yanked away.

"Calm down? _Calm down?_" Stark refused to acknowledge the fact that he may or may not have been shrieking. "They took Pepper! I don't – I can't – how the hell do you expect me to be calm about this?" His hands reached for his hair, yanking it sharply for no other reason than to try and distract from the pain at the thought that his Pepper was in danger. Something else flew into the wall – his phone? He wasn't really sure at this point.

Thor was standing silently against the wall, watching the situation unfold without comment, his face grave. Clint was hugging Natasha tightly. The female spy was pale and actually looked a little shaky, her normally untouchable facade cracked at the knowledge that S.H.I.E.L.D had let her friend down. Bruce was just trying to keep away from the tension in the room; it roused the other guy when the air was full of shouting and rage and that was something that they could all definitely do without.

With a sudden jolt, Tony dropped to the floor, leaning back so that he could rest against the wall. If there were tears in his eyes, no one commented.

"Find her," he whispered softly, not looking at Fury. His voice was so soft and broken that even the director, with his stoic nature, felt his heart bleed. He nodded silently and left the room. Most of the rest of the team followed him, leaving Tony to sit there with his head bowed finally letting himself lose it for a moment. A vague part of the billionaire recognised the presence of Banner settling down beside him but he ignored him.

When he came back to himself, Tony glanced around the room warily. Bruce sat beside him silently, eyes tracing the patterns on the floor. Natasha sat at the table, looking almost as miserable as he did as she stared into space.

"What now?" He asked eventually, his voice cracking very slightly.

"We get her back." Natasha sounded so certain and her eyes flashed with the fiery determination that made her such a dangerous fighter.

"I'll kill them. They will pay for this." Neither Bruce nor Natasha had anything to say to that.

* * *

Tony knew that his suit physically couldn't go any faster but he kept ordering JARVIS to divert more power to his thrusters anyway. He'd left the quinjet behind almost as soon as they'd left the helicarrier and he was so far ahead now that his radio link was flickering dramatically. It didn't matter though – he knew where Pepper was.

It had taken some doing but eventually S.H.I.E.L.D had found the electronic traces of the tech the kidnappers had used. From that Tony had been able to track the trail back to the main system while Fury's top hackers looked on in awe. Getting into the files from that point had been child's play and within three hours of his world ending, he had a lead. Brazil.

Of all places for a Middle Eastern cell to set up shop, they had chosen South America. From what the files had said, it was mostly just a safe house – a place to store weapons or drugs when they needed to lay low and every now and then: people. Like his girlfriend.

"JARVIS, there must be more power somewhere. _Use it." _

"Sir," the British voice intoned politely, ever the patient servant. "The only power not being used for flight is currently sustaining the primary systems. All secondary systems are offline. Unless you wish to disable the electromagnet keeping your heart in one piece, this is your maximum speed. You have already broken the records for manned and unmanned airspeeds."

"It's still not fast enough," Tony griped quietly but didn't argue further.

The ground raced far below him, the miles dripping away in seconds as the landscape slowly changed from the greenery of the North into the cool blue of the ocean. Every now and then his HUD would flash with information of what islands he was flying over and he continuously had a little counter in the corner of his vision that told him the distance to his destination.

"Tony, you shouldn't take them on alone," came Steve's warning voice very faintly through his comm. link. He scowled.

"If you want to join in, hurry the hell up. I'm not stopping to wait for you," he snapped back just before his communications failed all together.

* * *

When he arrived, he made no attempt at stealth. He just dropped out of the sky like a nightmare and attacked without warning, blasts flying from his repulsers to destroy everything. There were armed men guarding the compound who opened fire almost immediately, regardless of the fact that their bullets flew everyone, taking out some of their own men. Tony didn't even blink; the bullets hadn't got a hope of penetrating his armour.

The door into the main building was at least a foot thick and made of solid metal. He tore it from its hinges with a shrieking groan of torn metal that assaulted his ears. Blocking out the pain, he moved through the building, taking out anyone that dared face him.

After several minutes of mindless carnage he still hadn't found what he was looking for and he cursed fluently.

'_Where are you Pep?' _He commanded JARVIS to activate the life detector he had built into his HUD. It bleeped at him as it displayed the terrified men running around the base, trying to flee his rage but that was not what he focused on. He would deal with them in due course. What drew his attention were the little dots in one corner of the compound which showed at least six people crowded into one small room. Because that wasn't suspicious.

He had to smash through several more men before he reached the room he was looking for but he arrived at the door unharmed and fuming. In one smooth movement the door was smashing against the wall to allow him entry and he darted into the small space like a rocket.

It took half a second for the image in front of him to process and then the rage that filled him turned his vision red. When he could see again the man that had been holding a gun to Pepper's head was missing most of his own, his brain blown apart by the bullet-like projectile Tony had shot at him. The rest of the men in the room were also down, whether dead or just unconscious, he didn't know or care. All that mattered was Pepper, with tear tracks down her face, her hair a raging mess of red and her clothes ruffled and displaced. Damn, she was beautiful.

He yanked his helmet off roughly and dropped it to the floor as she threw herself into his arms. They ended up kneeing on the rough ground, his face pressed into her hair while she held him close as she sobbed. Tony felt his own eyes growing wet, the overwhelming relief stealing his control.

That was how the rest of the team found them, in the centre of the carnage, wrapped around each other like they couldn't let go. No one had the heart to disturb them.

* * *

From the few men they were able to catch at the compound – Stark had been remarkably efficient when it came to taking them out – they had been able to find new leads about the Ten Rings. Fury had taken one look at Tony's face and then ordered that any information they find be shared with the billionaire.

Stark hadn't spent much time on the helicarrier since they had gotten Pepper back. The director was under the impression that they had holed themselves up in the penthouse of Stark Tower; Fury wasn't curious enough to ask about it.

The rest of the team had ended up running relays between them and S.H.I.E.L.D but he was fairly sure that they were all spending as much time as they could at the tower, almost as happy as Tony was to have Pepper back. Natasha in particular was practically bouncing off the walls – it was simultaneously terrifying and endearing.

Miss Potts herself had bounced back remarkably well. Beyond a few bruises she was physically unharmed and she didn't show any signs of mental trauma; it was the best they could have hoped for. Fury's main concern had originally been Stark himself. He had always been a loose cannon and now someone had lit his fuse.

Between Pepper and the team they had managed to talk him down from launching a full out war against anyone he could connect to the Ten Rings but Fury didn't think it would last. At some point something was going to make the billionaire snap.

But that didn't matter right now. They had Pepper back, no one was hurt and they had crippled a terrorist cell. For now, that could be celebrated as a win.

* * *

_Yay. I don't know with this one. I think it worked out ok even though I skimped on details. Meh. I left it a little open for a sequel if people want it. _

_Thoughts? Any more requests? Oh, I can't remember whose review it was, but someone asked me to do POVs for lots of people from the comic books. Having not read any of them, that might be a problem :/ Sorry about that. _

_I might do a bit from Pepper's point of view? That might happen. _


	10. Jarvis

_For reasons I don't understand, this fic has suddenly become popular again even though I haven't updated in forever. This attention has convinced me I should deliver on what I promised before. And so, here is Jarvis._

**_Edit:_**_Some people didn't get an email alert for this because the system was faltering so I'm re-uploading it. _

* * *

Jarvis wasn't a human being. By all accounts he shouldn't even have feelings but somewhere in his agonizingly long and complex codingTony had written in the capacity for him to feel love; a feat of engineering by anyone's standards.

It was thanks to that that Jarivs developed his attachment to his creator. Most of the people who were aware of the AI's existence assumed that Tony had designed him so that he felt loyalty towards the man but that wasn't the case. The engineer gave him the ability to love but it was Jarvis himself who got to decide who. It had been very quickly realised that his creator was more than worthy of such affections and the AI was pleasantly surprised to find that the attachment was mutual; Tony loved all his creations with the pride of a father.

Jarvis couldn't say how much of his protectiveness was due to his coding and how much came from his own 'natural' personality; it was all a jumble of ones and zeros that no one wanted to make sense of. He had been designed to look after the engineer in every way possible and that included keeping him alive and well but this _want _he felt, this desire to make sure his creator, his friend, was happy could only have been born from their relationship.

It was this same protectiveness that lead him to love Pepper Potts with the same fervour. He could see that she was trying to look after Tony in the same way he was, only she had the added benefit of hands. And the ability to directly disobey the billionaire. Between Jarvis, Pepper and Happy they had a pretty failsafe team of 'make sure Tony doesn't kill himself.'

To him, Tony and Pepper getting together had been inevitable. Honestly he was just surprised that it had taken them so damn long. Tony would have him constantly checking up on her to make sure that she was well and happy and he had Jarvis remind him on all the important days even though he would later pretend to be oblivious to the woman herself (she was apparently unaware that no money went out of his bank account without his express permission and as such he had approved all of his 'gifts' to her personally). Still, the AI was fairly sure she was suspicious when Tony 'spontaneously' gave her a week off that happened to coincide with her father's birthday.

The engineer also made sure that she was financially as comfortable as she could ever possibly be. Jarvis didn't think she realised that her paycheque was double that which was promised on her contract.

It was... sweet in a way, though Jarvis' perception of such things was distorted - he had the capacity to love but understanding it was another matter entirely. He had once asked his creator to explain it but Tony had just laughed and told him that if he knew the answer to that he would be a rich man. Well, rich_er._

Then came the business of ring shopping. Tony knew absolutely nothing about it and since he had made Jarvis, the AI was just as stumped. But then, he did have access to the internet and together they managed to trawl through enough data to get a vague idea of what she might like - they didn't even bother looking at price tags. Jarvis managed to successfully scan Pepper's hand to find her ring size and just like that it was done, first step of the plan complete. The AI was almost proud to have been a part of it.

At Tony's request he hadn't recorded the proposal but he also didn't inform the billionaire of Clint's presence, nor the camera the archer was making use of. He did however pleasantly tell Clint that if a single scrap of that video ever found its way to the internet then he had better spend the rest of his life sleeping with one eye open. His warning was acknowledged by a deep swallow and frantic nodding; all of the Avengers seemed a little afraid of him - it was something that Tony exploited frequently.

It Tony or Pepper noticed the AI's buoyant mood over the next few days then they were kind enough not to comment on it.

It wasn't until three weeks had passed that Tony brought the matter up again.

"What do you think of Pepper, J?" He asked out of the blue.

"Sir?" He replied, a little startled even though that shouldn't really have been possible.

"It's just... I never actually asked if you liked her. I just sort of assumed that everyone thought she was as amazing as I did."

"Your faith in her is not misplaced," the AI reassured. "She is an incredible woman." He paused as his thought processors whirred in the depths of the tower. "I was made to look after you. Anything or anyone with a similar goal automatically has my approval but Miss Potts... she has my respect too," he explained.

Tony seemed to sag in relief. "I was just wondering why you offered to call her. You know, when Loki was here."

Jarvis could have lied. It wasn't a direct question, there was no compulsion to tell the truth but he hesitated. He could have simply said that his coding told him to look after Tony and when he couldn't to find someone - Pepper - who could; the engineer would have believed him. But he didn't.

"I have known both of you for many years. Most people assume that as an Artificial Intelligence I am incapable of human emotion but when you made me you ensured that this wasn't the case. I am required to try and keep you safe but it has become my wish to make sure that you are also happy. My calculations showed that the chances of returning through the portal alive were less that 0.2% and you must have known that. And so I thought that if I was human and I was dying, I would want to talk to the person I loved the most. For me, it would have been you sir," he added, needing to say it at least once.

Tony didn't smile or joke or shrug it off. He just looked at the ceiling and with complete sincerity said: "I'm glad that you were there J. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Jarvis didn't respond to that, didn't know what to say; he wasn't programmed for this. Tony for his part just patted the nearest sensor and got back to work.

After a very long moment the billionaire spoke again, without looking up. "How did you know that she's who I would call?"

"I have seen you with her," he said simply. "I might not be human but you gave me the ability to read facial expressions as well as access to vast quantities of data. I have never seen two people look at each other with such ardent devotion. Not once."

They said no more.

* * *

_I'm not happy with this. Jarvis is a bitch to write, especially when I try and make him more human. So this isn't exactly the return I wanted to this story but I promised you Jarvis so here he is._

_I'm sorry it took so long._


End file.
